Los Velos, Rio Grande Valley, Texas
image: 10 3/4 × 17 in. (27.3 × 43.2 cm)
One Book One Northwestern, 2024–25
This artwork was selected in response to themes in Northwestern’s community-wide reading of The Night Watchman (2020) by Louise Erdrich.
In the 1970s, in the wake of the Johnson Administration’s War on Poverty, photographer Don Getsug traveled to economically depressed regions of the country. Getsug was inspired by 1930s photographers who worked for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and who sought to raise awareness of the conditions of poverty in rural America. Here Getsug captures the joy and abandon of childhood, in spite of the children’s humble means. The boy on the left is wearing pants that are too short and shoes that are too big but has a broad grin on his face despite the economic hardships.In The Night Watchman, author Louise Erdrich describes the rural Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota where the main characters live. Although they are not wealthy, they fill their homes with love. As one character goes inside the home, he describes his reaction:
Pokey pushed the door open. When Barnes ducked through, he was shocked. He hadn’t understood he was entering a house. The outside of the place looked to Barnes like a rude shelter for animals, the stacked poles plastered with pale yellow mud. But then, even in the dim light, he saw that there were signs of care taken. The table was scrubbed clean. Upon it, a lighted glass lantern glowed.
We are happy to provide a shareable pdf booklet and downloadable images for teaching and engagement. You can schedule a class visit to discuss these works in person in our study center by contacting Essi Rönkkö at essi.ronkko@northwestern.edu.
